Circular knitting machine and method of operating same



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CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE AND METHOD OE OPERATING SAME u Filedy NO. 27, 1945 15 Sheets-Sheet 1 oct. so, 1945.

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CTRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE AND METHOD OF' OPERATING SAME ALBERT E. PAGE FRANK R. PAGE ct. 30, 1945. A. E. PAGE ET Al. 2,387,769

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE AND METHOD OF OPERATING SAME Filed Nov. 27. 1943 15 snets-sneet 1:5

Zzvenars ALBERT E. PAGE FRANK R. PAGE Oct. 30, 1945;

A. E. PAGE ET AL CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE AND METHOD OF OPERATING SAME FiledNov. 27, 194s 15 sheets-sheet 14 E 5 au@ AAn mi .w am E N. v mAz LRM AF? @wm Oct. 30, 1945. A. E. PAGE ET AL CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE AND METHOD OF OPERATING SAME 15 Sheets-Sheet l5 Filed Nov. 27, 1943 EES Si, :.Pmm ..0 E www JBAW -LRn n AF .y

' ed and other fabrics.'

Patented oct. so, 1945 l CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE AND METHOD oF OPERATING SAME v Albert E. Page and Frank R. Page, Laconia, N. H.,

PATENT OFFICE assignors to Scott & Williams, Incorporated, Laconia, N. H., a corporation'of Massachusetts Application November 27, 1.943, Serial No. 512,001

\ 2r claims.

This invention relates to ycircularknitting mae. chines and method of operating same, andmore particularly to a machine having a dial containing elements adapted to participate in the transfer of loops, as for example,` in the formation of 'an inturned welt on hosiery. the invention is to provide means whereby there is proper transfer of loops from the transfer implements to the nee es. 1t is characteristic of a machine made in accordance with our invention that the needles assist in maintaining the registry between the transfer implements and the needles during transfer of loops.

The present invention is .an improvement on the patent to Robert W'. Scott No. 1,282,958, dated October 29, 1918, for Machine for knitting welt- As shown in that patent, the fabric can be started up from the bare needles and the making of the automatic inturned Welt at the upper end of the stocking is accomplished with the aid of transfer implements T mounted One object of radially in a dial D. It has been found when it is desired to make a very fine gauge fabric, that the number of transfer implements'T is in'- creased to the point where there is insufficient'4 room at the center of the dial for the tails of all the transfer implements. We have found a method of avoiding this obstacle with the use of one transfer implement not more frequently than for every third needle. However, it has also been found that transfer implements do not always maintain their registry with the needles when projected for the transfer operation, and missed stitches result.

The means for maintaining the registry between the transfer implements and loops and the needles to receive the loops is one of theprincipal objects of this invention. It is of interest to note that this is done without introducing any new knitting elements in the machine. The. basic features of the present invention are applicable to a machine of ani1 gauge making any kind of a transferred stitch. Other objects of the invention will be described in the subsequent parts of the specification.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view of part of the stitches of an int-urned welt made on amachine constructed and manipulated in accordance with the present invention. the stitches being arranged so as to show their concatenation;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view of the stocking top of Fig, l. showing the novel welt loops and the actual relation of the stitches associated therewith;

Fi-g. 3 is a view in outline of the stocking such as contains the inturned welt of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a development of theuneedles, 'jacks and needle-operating-cams of a machine adapted to make the fabric of Fig. 1, looking outward from the center of the machine, showing the parts during the making of the first course of the welt;

L.Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4, showing the parts during the 4second course when all the needles take yarn.

Fig. 6 is a View similar to Figs. 4 and 5, showing the parts during the third, fourth, fifth and sixth courses when two out of three needles take yarn;

Fig. 7 is a v iew similar 'to Figs. 4, 5 and 6, showing the parts during the cour where the loops are being transferred from th transfer bits to the needles; v

Fig. 8 is a view in perspective of part of the front of a circular knitting machine constructed in accordance with our present invention;

Fig. -9 is a view infront elevation showing the pattern chain and main driving mechanism of f the machine of Fig. 8; I j

Fig. 10 is a view in rear elevation of the driving mechanism, also showing the main pattern drum;

Fig. 11 is a view in vertical section taken on the line lI-Il of Fig. 10, showing auxiliary means for racking the main pattern drum;

Fig. 12 is va view in elevation from the right side of the machine, the frame and other parts having beeny removed in ordercvto show the pattern chain, pattern drum and associated driving means;l

Fig. 1,3 is a view in elevation taken from the front of the machine, showing the mechanism for controlling the insertion of the jack cam shown in Figs. 4 7;

Fig. 14 is a face view of the disk cam controlling the movements of the jack cam;

Fig. 15 is a View in elevation from the right side of the machine, showing only the main pattern drum and certain parts controlled therefrom, including the jack'cam control parts;

Fig. 16 is a plan view of the bedplate of the machine showing part of the jack cam and needle cam controlling mechanisms:

Fig. 17 is a view in perspective of the mounting of the jack cam itself;

Fig. 18 is a plan view of the jack cam and the means by which the depth of its insertion is controlled, with the jack cam in retracted position;

Fig. 19 is a view in elevation of the jack cam and its relation to the raising of the lack butts, corresponding to Fig. 18;

Fig. 20 is a view similar to Fig. 18, showingI the jack cam partially inserted so as to raise the long butt jacks during the first course of knittine:

Fig. 21 is a view in elevation corresponding to Fig. 20, showing the interaction of the jack cam with the jack butts during the rst course;

Fig. 22 is'a plan view similar to Figs. 18 and 20, but showing the jack cam inserted all the way where it elevates both the long and short butt jacks;

Fig. 23 is a view corresponding to Fig. 22 but in elevation, showing the interaction of the jack cam with the jack butts when thus fully inserted;

Fig. 24 is a perspective view of three of the needle elevating and depressing cams which cooperate with the jack cam to produce the necessary selections of stitches during the first few courses of knitting, and also showing the levers and thrust rods connecting those cams to the main pattern drum;

Fig. 25 is a View similar to Fig. 24, in perspective, showing a needle dividing cam which cooperates with the jack cam and the cams of Fig. 24;

Fig. 26 is a view in perspective of the needle depressing cam of Fig. 24 and a cam acting on the butts of the transfer implements in the dial during the knitting of the transfer course, together with the levers which control said `cams;

Fig. 27 is a detailed view, in perspective, of the needle elevating and depressing cams of Fig. 24, showing the manner of mounting to give their interrelated insertions and withdrawals:

Fig. 28 is another view in perspective of the parts of Fig. 27, showing the mounting partly broken awa-y. taken from the side 'of the needle depressing cam; y

Fig. 29 is a View in perspective of the needle dividing cam of Fig. 25, showing the mounting of the same partially broken away to further illustrate its manner of insertion;

Fig. 30 is a plan view of the various needle cams of Figs. 26 to 29 assembled in the positions which they occupy during the knitting of the first course as shown in Fig. 4;

Fig. 31 is a view of the cams of Fig. 30 and their relation to the needle butts, showing their positions during the making of the second course as shown in Fig.

Fig; 32 is a view similar to Fig. 31, showing the cams in the position they occupy during the knitting of the third and succeeding courses as shown in Fig. 6;

Fig. 33 is a view similar to Figs. 31 and 32,

showing the cams positioned for the knitting of the transfer course as shown in Fig. 7;

Fig. 34 is a diagrammatic view in perspective of the needles and sinkers, showing the engagement of the yarn in the hooks, the needles being shown more particularly in the position they occupy after being levelled oif at the extreme left of Fig. 4;

Fig. 35 is a viewimilar to Fig. 34, but showing the parts in their condition `after the knitting of the second course shown in Fig. 5, the associated jacks being indicated in part underneath three of the needles;

Fig. 36 is a view similar to Figs. 34 and- 35, after the knitting of the third course'shown in Fig. 6, and showing the transfer elements T engaging the yarn for the first time;

Fig. 37 is a fragmentary view showing in more detail the engagement of the plurality of loops by the transfer element vduring the fourth course of knitting;

Figs. 38, 39, 40 and 41 are a series of views in side elevation, showing the relative positions of the sinkers, transfer elements, needles and associated yarn loops and stitches at various points in the knitting; Fig. 38 showing the relative positions of the parts as the needle rises through the yarn loops held by the transfer implements fI'; Fig..39 showing the needle still further elevated and the transfer implement withdrawn out of action; Fig. 40 showing a still later phase of the knitting cycle Where the welt loops from the transfer implement have been cleared below the needle latch and the hook of the needle has engaged yarn for the knitting of the transfer course; Fig. 41 illustrating the last phase of the knitting of the transfer course where the needle has drawn yarn through the welt loops and the previous course loop; i

Fig. 42 is a. fragmentary diagrammatic view in perspective illustrating the relation of the sinkers, needles, transfer implements and yarn loops just preceding the knitting of the transfer course, the needles and sinkers being shown widely separated for the sake of clarity:

Fig. 43 is a view in side elevation, partly in section, of the driving connection for the dial carrying the transfer implements, the parts shown in this view being directly above and associated with those shown in Fig. 9;

Fig. 44 is a View in perspective from above showing the means which'control the cams that act upon the transfer implements;

Fig. 45 is a plan view with the dial cap plate removed, showing the pathway of the butts on the transfer implements when retracted;

Fig. 46 is a view similar to Fig. 45, but showing the path of the butts of the transfer implements when projected to the position corresponding to Figs. 6 and 36;

Fig. 47 is a View similar to Figs. 45 and 46, but showing other cams operating upon the butts of the transfer implements to project them at the time of transfer, and corresponding to Figs. 7 and 42;

Fig. 48 is a plan view of a fragment of the dial, showing the slots in which the welt implements slide;

Fig. 49 is a diagram showing the timed relation to each other and the fabric, of the movements Aof the various cams involved in knitting the courses of the welt of Fig. l;

Fig. 50 is an enlarged view in elevation of a few of the transfer bits and needles at the time of projection of the transfer implements, this view showing the dimensions of the parts and novel centering action of the present invention:

Fig. 51 is a view in side elevation of the parts of Fig. 50;

Fig. 52 is a view on a still further enlarged scale, showing the relative dimensions of the transfer implements and needles. and the spacing of the latter;

Figs. 53 to 56, inclusive, illustrate a modification of the machine of Figs. 4 to 52, in which the needles are selected for the making of the transferred stitches by a form of pattern jack; Fig. 53 being a development of the paths of the butts of the pattern jacks, short jacks and needle butts for the knitting of the first course corresponding to Fig. 4; Fig. 54 being a view' in vertical section of the pattern jacks in selected and nonselected positions on any course, taken at the point where the selecting cam is operating on them; Fig. 55 being a view similar to Fig. 53 but at the third course, the non-elevated needles being those corresponding to the jackless needles of Figs. 4 to 7; and Fig. 56 being a view in vertical section similar to Fig. 54, taken 'at the time the jacks are being raised on any course, and corresponding to Fig. 6 and to line 56-56 of Fig. 55. In Figs. 53 and 55 cams 8 and 2liK are indicated by dot-and-dash lines but are inactive in those gures.

General constructionpof machine and fabric right position, as seen in Fig. 9. The main bevel gear 3| meshes with the main head gear ring (not shown) which surrounds and is fixed to the needle cylinder. The shifting of the clutch be`-- tween rotary and reciprocatory position is caused under the control of a pattern chain 85, in the same general Way as shown in the patent to Robert W. Scott No. 1,148,055, dated July 21,

out of operative relation with the needles and transfer bits, in a well-known manner.

As is usual in independent needle circular hosiery machines, the needles are divided into two consecutive series of long.v and short butt needles, the long utts being referred to ordinarily as the inste needles and the short butts as the heel needles. Assuming that the machine is of a sufficiently fine gauge to have 480 needles,

240 of them will therefore be long butt and 240` short butt needles, these groups `being subdivided as usual. The machine hasA the usual sinkers S.

To assist in understanding our novel machine, we will now -give a brief description ofthe fabric produced and which forms the subject-matter of our application. filed of even date herewith, for Knit fabric and method of making same, Serial No. 512,000. In this application we have shown in Fig. 3 the outline of a stocking adapted to contain our invention, the automatic inturned welt 23 being separated from the leg 25 by a transfer course X and the leg terminating in a heel 26 and toe 21. The novel parts of the fabric relate to the transferred stitches which form part of this automatic inturned welt and the machine which we are showing and describing is adapted to make this stocking startingup from the bare needles.

It should be noted, however, that the machine can 1915. This pattern chain is carried on a sprocket i wheel 84 to which is xed a ratchet wheel 86 racked ahead by a chain pawl 81 (Fig. 12). The

varying heights of the chain links actuate a chain pawl controller 83 which controls the movements of the main pawl 82 transmitted to the main rack wheel 8| and thence to a gear |22. The pattern chain not only causes shifting of the clutch but also the timing of many movements of the needle cams, etc., through the intermediary of the main pattern drum |20 by means of gears |2|, |22, |23.

The embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 4 to 52, inclusive, and the embodiment of Figs. 53 to 56, inclusive, each contains a circular dial D containing transfer instrumentalities T,

which latter elements we shall hereinafter call transfer bits. As in the Scott Patent 1,282,958, above referred to, and as shown in Figs. 48, 50,

51 and 52 of our application, these transfer bits' slide radially in and out across the periphery of the dial for the purpose of taking bights of yarn, holding them, and subsequently transferring them to the corresponding needles in the cylinder. The rotation of the dial in synchronism with the needle cylinder is obtained from the dial driving bevel gear 28` the vertical dial driving shaft I3 and the usual bevel gears, shaft and dial spindle d shown in Figs. 8, 9 and 43. The main pattern drum |20 (Fig. 10) has on it cams adapted to actuate various elements in the head of the machine by means of thrust bars 460, 462, but certain of the cam movements are obtained from the rotation of the shaft carrying the pattern chain and its rack wheel 8|. as will be hereinafter described. The main pattern drum also serves to raise and lower the yarn fingers by means of thrust rods 463, 464 into and be employed uto form any kind of a transferred stitch. For instance, it is possible to make a fabric having a fancy appearance `by means of transferred stitches, or to make one with laterally transferred stitches if desired. It should also\be understood .that while the invention is peculiarly useful in machines of very fine gauge, it can be used to advantage in any gauge. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, there are three kinds of wales in the Welt, numbered 2 and 3 (reading from right to left). The needle knitting a wale such as is a needle having a jack with a. long butt, while wale 2 is knit by a needle 2' having under it a jack with a short butt, and wale 3 is knit by needle 3 having no jack under it at all. The long butt jacks are shown in Figs. 4 to 'I and 35 with the reference character 4, while the short butt jacks are indicated by reference character 4'. It might be noted that the stitches shown in Figs. 1 and 2 are partial duplicates of each other, the difference in appearance of the fabrics being due to the fact that in Fig. 1 the showing is diagrammatic with the wales of one thickness of the welt offset in order to make the wales 'of the other thickness more visible; while in Fig. 2 the second thickness is omitted and the stitches are shown in the distorted form which they take incidental to the strain caused by the transfer loops. It will be apparent from this figure that the forma,- tion of normal-shaped knitted loops is not obvious until the knitting of the third or fourth course, due in part to these transfer loops 2| and 2|'. As shown in Fig. 2, the yarn of the first course assumes a wavy formation but the elongated loops 22 in the second course retain their identity due to not being cast off from needles until the knitting of the seventh course. The transfer loops 2| and 2| are knitted respectively in the third and fourth courses and are interlaced with the loops 22. As shown in Fig. 2, each 'arm-of a loop 22 passes under the yarn from the third course loop 2| and over the fourth.course loop 2 I The end of each arm of the loop 22 then passes under both the third and fourth course yarns and emerges in the next sinker wale, giving more or less the appearance of a knot 224 where the first course yarn is threaded under the yarn from the loop 22. The yarn of the loop 22 repeats this cycle throughoutl the entire circumference of the stocking.

It will be noted from Fig. 2 that the transfer loops 2| of the fourth course are bent out laterallybeyond the third course loops 2| by reason of the crossing of the leg of the loop 22 in opposite directions by the third and fourth course yarn at the beginning of the loops 2|, 2|. This bowing out of the loops 2| assists materially in. filling up the space between the adjacent transfer loops and it is also found that the knot formation 224 serves to keep this bowed formation.

One reason for having a plurality of transfer loops made-and in separate courses-is that it occasionally happens a single transfer loop isv not shedby the transfer element when taken by the needle. Ihis is closely related to the maintenance of registry between transfer bits and nee.- dles. We have discovered that if a plurality of welt courses are knit so that there are two or more welt loops 2|, 2|' on each transfer element, no mistransfers occur and the needle will be able to force the loops olf the transfer element successfully. We have also found that due to the crossed, bowed and knotted formation above described with relation to the legs of the transfer loops, there is a binding at the point where th legs of the loops join the fabric which resists the pull of the transfer element and assists in their removal therefrom. Furthermore, having separate course transfer loops seems'to prevent the loops slipping off the transfer elements or bits in advance of the proper time.

Finally, to assist in understanding the operation of the machine now to be described, we note that inthe first course of the welt described only the needles having long butt jacks under them take yarn, namely, every-third needle. In the second course all needles take yarn. In the third course two out of three needles take yarn and also the transfer elements or bits. The needles which are inactive are the ones corresponding to the bits, namely, the ja'ckless needles 3. Beginning with the seventh course, all needles take yarn.

Jack cams In the example given in Figs. 4 to 52 of the drawings, every third needle has a long butt jack 4 and one of each of the two remaining needles has a shortv butt jack 4 (see Figs. 4 to 1 and the lower part of Fig. 35). These jacks are used in connection with the starting of the fabric and the making of the transfer. As'shown in Figs. 4 to 7, there is a special cam path for the butts of the jacks and the raising of the jacks is caused in part by a stationary cam 366. There is a depression 366' inthe top of this cam (Fig. 4) and in it is located the lower end of a radially movable jack raising cam 5. This cam is adapted to be moved into operative relatio with the long butt jacks only, both the long nd short butt jacks. or out of action with relation to both kinds of jacks. The purpose of thedepression 366' nthe upper surface of the fixed c am 366 in which the lower end of the jack ca y '5 seats is to avoid the possibility of jack b ts striking against the leading edge of the m 5' and breaking.

This jack cam 5 is mounted on a lever |26 pvoted on bedplate B and is moved by the mechanism shown `in Figs. 8 and 13 to 16 inclusive. This mechanism is actuated by the disk cam 55 which can be bolted on the drum driving gear |22 mounted on the end of the pattern chain shaft at (as shown in Fig. 13). The periphery of this disk cam has three heights, the lowest `portion leading by a cam |03 to the intermediate level which in turn leads to the high part of the disk by cam surface |04, and the high part returning to the lowest portion by slope |05 (Fig. 14). These surfaces are read by a lu'g |06 fastened by a screw |01 to a lever |08, which lever is pivoted at |09 to an upright ||0 (Fig. 13). The pivotal movements of the lever |08 transmitted by the lug |06 are in.turn transmitted to bell crank lever ||4, pivoted at ||5 to a plate ||6 on the bedplate B, by means of a wire link passing through an eye in the end of the arm |08. The projecting lower end of the link terminates in a collar 2 adjustably xed on the link by a, set screw ||3. 'I'his link is at.. tached to one end of the bell crank lever ||4 and to the other end of the bell crank lever is connected a tension spring ||1 fastened to the frame of the machine in such a manner as to maintain the lug l|06 in contact with the periphery of the disk 55. Also fastened to the upper end of the bell crank .lever are the means for`v transmitting movement to the jack cam 5, these consisting of a rod. |21 taking through an upturned end |25 of the lever |26 on the bedplate B. There is a tension spring |30 fastened to the free end of the arm |26 and to an upstanding pin |31 on a detent plate |33, the purpose of this spring and the manner of its mounting being shown more fully in Figs. 18, 20 and 22. It will be noted that there is also a compression spring |24 on the rod 21 maintaining a compression between the upturned end |25 of the lever |26 and the rod by means of a set screw. In this way the disk cam can exercise compression of the spring |24 on the rod against a detent now to be described. The detent is shown in Figs. 18, 20 and 22 and acts to fix the exact intermediate position of the cam 5. It consists of a detent plate |33 pivoted at |34 to the bedplate B. There is a notch or hook portion |38 in this detent which engages a corresponding hook |39 on the vlever |26, the parts being of such dimensions that when these two notches are engaged with each other the camv5 is in its intermediate position shown in Figs. 20 and 2l, where it engages the long butt jacks 4 but not the short butt jacks 4. It will be noted that there is a collar |35 fast on the end of the rod |21 projecting through the upturned end |25 of the lever |26` Extending laterall-y from the collar |35 is an arm |36 lying in the path of the upstanding pin |31 on the detent to which the tension spring |30 is fastened. It will be noted that with respect to the line of movement of tre rod |21, the pin |31 is onthe opposite side of the pivot point |34 of the detent plate from the notch |38.

Reviewing the operation of this control of jack cam 5, in Fig. 18 the cam is shown retracted in the position where it engages neither the long jack butts nor the short jack butts, all of which butts move up the fixed cam 366 and past camV 5.

' At this time the lug |06 is in engagement with the lowest cam surface of the cam disk 55. When it is desired to bring the jack cam into engagement with the butts of the long butt jacks, the advancing movements of the pattern chain cause the lug |06 :to ride up the cam surface |03 to the intermediate level of the periphery of the disk, which pulls down on the rod Ifcaiising the rod |21 to be pushed toward the arm |26 and compress the spring |24. The compression of this spring exerts a force upon lever |26 almost radially inward of the machine, pushing the notch |30 on the arm |26 toward the needle cylinder to the position shown in Fig. 20. The tension spring |30 holds the notch |38 of the detent plate |33 in the path of the notch |39, this definitely holding the cam 5 in its partially inserted position where it engages the long butt jacks. The short butt jacks still pass the cam 5. When rotation" of the pattern chain shaft causes the lug |06 to ride up the cam surface |04 onto the high part of the periphery of thedisk 55,

thereby tipping the bell`crank lever ||4, therrod |21 is pushed further toward the needle cylinder. This brings the arm` |36 of the collar |35 on the end ofthe rod into contact with the pin |31 on the detent and the arm pushes thedetent plate` in a counterclockwise direction. This disengages the notch |38 in the-detent from the notch |39 inthe lever |26, and the lever |26, under the pressure of spring |24, swings the jack cam 5 into its fully inserted position,Y as shown in Figs. Y

the parts are in the position of Fig. 4, thiscamv 5 is inserted half way, which is the position shown g in Figs, 20 and 21. During the knitting of the second and subsequent courses, up to and including the transfer course, this cam 5 is inserted all the way, as shown in Figs. 22 and 23. When, after the transfer course, the cam 5 is retracted out of engagement with all jack butts to-the position shown in Figs. 18 and 19, this movement is effected by further rotation of the disk cam 55 which causes the lug |06 to drop off the high surface down the slope |05, the lug then resting on the lowermost surface. The tension spring |1 on the bell crank lever then pulls the rod LI upwardly and retracts the cam 5, the detent thereby being reset to the position shown in Fig. 18 with the help of spring |30 but maintaining the lug |06 in contact with the periphery of the disk 55.

Special needle selecting cams 382, 20 and 8 The length of the needle jacks when they travel up jack cam 5 is sufficient to raise the needles in the cylinder slots with them to such an elevation that the needlesare cleared and the needle butts ride over the leading stitch cam 36|. Each needle, therefore, takes yarn, passes under the top center cam 351 and down under the following stitch cam 360. If a jack merely rides up the fixed cam 366 without going up the movable cam 5, it does not rise far enough to disturb the elevation of its needle. In Figs. 4 to '7, where a cam is fully retracted we have shown it dotted, for

the sake of simplicity. Where a cam is shown with dot-and-dash lines, it is intended to mean that the cam is partially inserted and will act on long butts. Where a cam is shown in solid lines it is intended to indicate that it is fully inserted. With this as a background, we will now describe the special cams acting directly on the butts of the needles and their interaction with the jack and other needle cams.

The three most important special needle cams are the lowering cam 382, the raising cam 20 and the special lowering cam 8. During the knitting of the rst course when the jack cam 5 israising the long butt jacks only and therefore raising only every third needle, the needles which are not raised by their Jacks come in at ormai level past cams 8 and 20. which are retrac ed. These needles are engaged by\ cam 382.\ This cam, therefore, lowers two out of three needlesbelow the leading stitch cam 36|, so that two needles out of three are not raised to clear level and only the needles having long butt jacks 4 take yarn. As shown in Figs. l and. f1, therefore, loops are drawn in only every third Wale of the fabric. n

As can be seen from Fig. l, it is desired to draw loops in all the wales in the second coursenamely, wales\ 2 and 3. Therefore cam 20 is inserted part way andcam 382 retracted, cam 20 serving to clearl all the long butt needles not already cleared byvjack cam 5, while the others are' raised by cam 21|, and allthe needles take yarn and p-ass 'under the top center cam 351. Actually, cam 382 need bebvithdrawn only halfway during the knitting of this course, since the cam 20 meets and raises the long butt needles before' n they reach cam 382 and therefore no needles are influenced by`\cam 382 in thesecond course.l This partly inserted position of lowering cam 382 in the second course is necessary for the purpose of making it-possible to get it all the way `in in the succeeding courses without missing half a course or smashing needle butts. The jack cam 5 must raise both long and short butt jacks on the third and succeeding courses -and it is convenient to insert it .all the way during the second course. The needles are all raised by cams 20, 21| and 36| anyway.

In the third and any other succeeding makeup courses, it will be noted from Fig. 1 that it is .desired to draw loops in only two out of three wales and to continue to hold loops in every third Wale. This holding is done by the jackless needles 3', as will be hereinafter referred to.\ As far as the needles are concerned, therefore, in the third, fourth, fifth and sixth courses of the example shown in Figs. 1 and 2, all the needles except the jackless ones are raised into action. This is done in part by the jack cam 5, which continues to raise both the long andshort butt jacks and their corresponding needles, and by the now fully inserted cam 382 which draws down the jackless needles', cam 20 having been withdrawn again and cam 8'still being retracted. After the make-,up courses all theineedles knit up to the transfer course with cams 8, 20 and 382 retracted. During the knitting of the sixth course, while the short butt needles are passing the raising cam 20, the cam is inserted half way. This is the usual preliminary protective move to pere before reaching the knitting point. Thus in the-y transfer course cam 8 is inserted so that they" needles go under cam 20 and 382 remains retracted. 'Ihe purpose of inserting cam 8 is to lower the jackless needles 3' so that the transfer bits T can be projected above them. The needles then are raised through the bits to take the yarn at the knitting point. These jackless needles,

after being lowered by cam 8, are raised again by the fixed cam 21| and leading stitch cam 36| to a level where they are cleared through the trans,- fer bits, take the loops from the bits, and take l. 

